MGM Medical College and Hospital has issued showcause notice to two nurses who were on duty at the emergency unit of the state-owned heal hub on Thursday when rats feasted on the body of a patient that had been kept unattended near a toilet for over 10 hours.

“Following the directive of principal secretary of the health department (Nidhi Khare), issued on Friday, we held a meeting today (Saturday) and decided to issue showcause notices to the two nurses who were on duty in separate shifts at the emergency unit on Thursday for their negligent attitude. Both of them have been asked to furnish replies within 24 hours (by Sunday) to the hospital superintendent,” said MGM hospital superintendent Dr S. N Jha.

Jha said they would hand over their probe report to the health secretary soon after going through the replies of the two nurses.

According to sources, the nurses who had been issued showcause notices were Sarojini Kumari, who was on the morning shift, and Poonam Kumari who came in for the afternoon shift.

Principal secretary, health, Nidhi Khare, who was in the steel city on Saturday to inaugurate a day care facility for haemophilic and thalassemic patients at Sadar Hospital at Khasmahal, around 5km from here, assured The Telegraph that the strictest possible action would be taken against the errant MGM staff.

“I came to know about it through the media on Friday. It is certainly condemnable and I ordered a probe to be completed within 48 hours. I am told a probe has already begun and I will be getting the report shortly. Strictest possible action would be taken against the staff responsible for this,” she said.

The body belonged to a 50-year-old old man who had been admitted to MGM by Tatanagar railway police with deep wounds on Wednesday. He died during the course of treatment on Thursday morning. His body was left to lie near the toilet of the emergency the whole day after which rats nibbled on its face.

It was only after hospital staff and patient attendants were alarmed by the stench that the body was noticed. After that the hospital authorities arranged to shift the body to the morgue. But then it was already Thursday night.